Setting the Record straight about CURRY

This evening I watched a very informative episode of one of my favourite food shows - Good Eats, the subject of said show being "CURRY". I was so relieved and excited to see someone set the record straight about this ummmm "dish". So for all you "curry" fans out there who don't watch food TV and who you use the word "curry" very loosely- please - allow me to clear the air on this subject. Thanks for the inspiration, AB! <3. (That's Alton Brown- the host of the show)

1. Curry does not refer to a spice blend or spice paste that you find in jars that you mix with meat or vegetables.

2. If you ask someone in India, where is a good place to get "curry" - you will be met with a blank stare - because "Curry" does not exist in India the way rest of the world seems to interpret curry.  There are a varieties of curries made with different spices and marinades and vegetables and meats and a whoooooooooole range of heat levels!!

3. The word curry originates from the Tamil word kari.

4. The spice mixture (wet paste or dry roasted powder) is called masala. There are different kinds of masala- usually involving different spices and proportions. The masala used to make a chole (chick peas) dish is different from the masala used to make butter chicken or tandoori chicken.

5. It's easy to make your own masala powder at home. All you need are the spices and a coffee/spice grinder!

6. The secret palatte cooling agent after you've eaten spicy Indian food- YOGURT.  Yogurt is your friend. Eat plenty of it!!

There's more but that's all I got for now.